The Concept of Sanatana Dharma(Hinduism) and its Decline

Today's social environment has been overcrowded with unlimited spiritual discourses and activities of countless spiritual masters, Yogis, self-styled Yugavataras, Pparamahansas, Yoga- gurus etc. But a scrutiny of the practical life of man is replete with crime, adultery, injustice and violence the impact of which seems to be noticeably negative. Some of fake Babas and Gurus are caught in the net of investigation and badly exposed before the public bringing dishonour and infamy to the Sanatan Hindu religion. The young generation is greatly misled by the so-called spiritual bigots and is prone to extreme indiscipline, intolerance in their social behaviour in absence of true masters and guides.

It is imperative to shed some light on the very concept of Hinduism and its tradition in order to save the social character from this mad inrush towards the black hole of doom and despair. Therefore, we must examine the correct meaning of Hinduism and the true role of spiritual masters to achieve its objectives in the world context. The Hindu religion is synonymous with the Sanatana Dharma, the religion for eternity.

It is life itself, not to be believed but to be lived. Other religions are preponderatingly religions of faith and profession but the Sanatana Dharma has been preserved for the salvation of humanity since the age of the Vedas. The nation Aryabrata Bharat which professes and practises Hindu religion never aspires to rise for self as other countries do nor does she try to trample on the weak. The very aim of this religion is to bring enlightenment upon each and every human being irrespective of caste, creed and nationality. This eternal religion is not confined to the narrow boundaries of a single country. Rather it embraces all others. It is a universal religion. Therefore it is eternal. On the contrary, the various sectarian religions, cults and practices meet their decay only after a few short periods of survival. The Sanatana Dharma teaches the humanity tolerance in all circumstances and situations, non-violence in thought, speech and action, and respect for other religions in a spirit of impartiality.

" That which lives forever is the Sanatana Dharma, the true Hindu religion. It enumerates all possible means of God-Realisation which all other religions acknowledge. That which is God in each and every being can be approachable by conscious human endeavour in the transcendence of the individual ego and total self-surrender to the Almighty, the all-pervading universal consciousness. Life and religion are intermingled in the Sanatana Dharma thus making the evolutionary human journey in the path of Truth, Freedom and Immortality

The journey is always “from falsehood to Truth, from darkness to Enlightenment and from death to Immortality.” The practitioner not only professes it but practises it in the very core of his being. In words of Sri Aurobindo”……….it is the Sanatana Dharma which for us is nationalism. The Hindu nation was born with the Sanatana Dharma, with it, it moves, and with it, it grows. When the Sanatana Dharma declines, then the nation declines, and if the Sanatana Dharma were capable of perishing, with the Sanatana Dharma it would perish. The Sanatana Dharma, that is nationalism.” The Hindu religion teaches the world Knowledge, i.e. the path of spiritual detachment. Its principles and practices are to help humanity to rise above petty rivalry, ignorance and delusion, the crudeness of intelligence, unsystematic thinking and inertia. It invites each and everybody to share its ideology and become an active participant of the Play of the Divine. The saints and seers of the spiritual Himalayan abode devote their entire life for one theme: Love- for Nature; Love for creatures and Love for all. No other nations of the world ever cherish this ideal of universal love nor do any strive after them.

The true picture of the Sanatana Dharma now remains hidden behind the faulty practices and wrong undoing of self-professed spiritual masters and thus bears a distorted look. For instance, the greatest Laurel of austerity conferred upon the most advanced SADHAK(practitioner of spirituality) is termed as Paramahansa. It refers to the highest state of God-realisation in the spiritual lineage that cannot be attained by ordinary physical means. The Paramahansa is a liberated state of being, completely rid of passion, fear or anger, wholly absorbed in the Supreme.He never builds a shelter of his own nor does he ask for it. His physical body and the eternal immutable Self are the only dwelling places for yogis of Paramahansa cult. He never identifies himself with an Avatara (incarnation of God) nor does he entitles himself as Yugavatara. The perfected being of the Paramahansa identifies himself with infinite consciousness in life as well as in death. The self-knowledge and love of this spiritual discipline of Hinduism or the Sanatana Dharma embrace the whole humanity in an unbreakable bond of universal harmony and goodwill.